Article holder, including coacting gripping fingers



Patented Apr. 285, 1953 UNITED stares nomen, INCLUDING ooAoriNG sanremo rrNGERs l ARTICLE Clifton llt.` Bradley, Bedford, Ohio Application April 2, 1952, Serial No. 280,055

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new `and useful improvements to article holders and more particularly to a holder having subject matter common to that disclosed inmy co-pending application Serial No. 223,4()3, tiled April`27, 1951.

The` primary object of theI present invention is to provide an article holderincluding a plurality of side by side resilient ngers iixed at their lower ends to a bottom wall of a container having an open top, whereby articles may be inserted between selected adjacent fingers to be yieldingly gripped by such fingers.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an article holder of the aforementioned character wherein the resilient ngers include rubber body portions reinforced by coil springs extending axially therethrough, whereby the articles will be rmly yieldingly grasped by two or more fingers without effecting marring or scratching of the articles.

A further object of the present invention is to provide article grasping ngers that are out from a long rubber, plastic or resilient material bar having a coi1 spring extending axially therethrough, and wherein one end of each finger is smoothly rounded to form a guide means to direct the end of an article between at least two ngers after the latter have been secured within a container.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide an article holder that `is simple and practical in construction, small and compact in structure, neat and attractive in appearance, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the saine is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the de tails of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the present invention in use;

Figure 2 is a detail vertical sectional View of Figure 1 to illustrate the manner in which the ngers are adhesively secured within `the containers;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the member from which the ngers are constructed;

Figure 4 is a perspective View of one of the vlingers; and

Figure 5 is avtransverse sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 5 5 of Figure 4,.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, whereinior the purpose of illustration, there is -disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral I!) represents a `suitable supporting base having one or more recesses I2 in its upper face that accommodate the lower ends of containers I4. V The containers i4 `are provided with open upper ends I6 and bottom walls I8.

A plurality of resilient ngers 20 are secured within the container I0. Each of the lingers 2U includes a rubber, plastic or resilient substantially cylindrical body portion 22, having a smoothly rounded upper end 24 and a tapered lower end 2t. A coil spring 28 extends axially through each body portion 22 to reinforce and strengthen the same.

The lower tapered ends 26 of a group of the fingers are adhesively secured to the bottom walls of the containers by a suitable cement 30 or molded by vulcanizing, to retain the fingers in side by side cimtactirw` relationship. The upper rounded ends of the fingers terminate in a plane paralleling the bottom wall and located at the upper ends of the containers, whereby suitable articles such as A and Al may be inserted downwardly into the mass of ngers to be yieldingly gripped by at least two adjacent ngers.

The rounded upper ends of the fingers will form guiding surfaces to aid in guiding the articles between adjacent fingers and to provide sufcient space between adjacent ngers to permit initial guiding of the articles downwardly between the fingers.

The ngers E@ are preferably formed from an elongated rubber bar T preferably circular in cross section and having a coil spring S extending axially through and embedded therein. The bar T and spring S are cut along lines L, LI to define nnger forming sections F after which one end of each linger is rounded by inserting the same into a heated mold or the like. Then, the other ends of the fingers are placed in an additional heated mold to form the tapered ends 26.

The cement 30 may be placed in the lower portion of the container and the mass of fingers in serted into the container with their lower ends 2E extending into the cement 30 to be adhesively secured to the bottom wall i8.

inasmuch as the fingers 20 are constructed of a rubber material, the same will eectively grip articles without effecting a marring or scratching of the article. Furthermore, inasmuch as each of the fingers 2t is provided with a resilient, coil spring, core 28 the fingers will be additionally reinforced and strengthened and the resilient characteristics of the fingers increased.

In View of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemedpnnecessary.

It is .l to@ ber-understood, however., that'` even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the :invention: asherein described and the scope of the appended-clairns.

5 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said springs are completely concealed within said body portions.

l, articleholdingj device comprising a coni:-taineir havingsan upperopen endgand a bottom 10 wall, and a plurality of spaced parallel fingers in L. the container and having lower ends fixed to said bottom wall, each of said ngers including a re- VLj-silientabodyportion and a resilient core, said fffngers lling said container and being disposed Hal/'ing deSiIbGd the IIVBHOII. :VV-.hatisiclamedm 15.111 Glosefnside by side relationship to coact in as new is:

1. An article holding device-comprisingencontainer having an upper open end and .a bottom wall, and a plurality ofspaced parallel ngers in the container andhaving lower ends fixed tosaid 20 1 Abottom wall," 4each. oit-@said ngers--including a resilient; body portion, andL a'resilientcore. t 2. v-Anf'article'-li'old-ing device'comprising a-conrftainer having'- ani upper v open end- -1 and a 'bottom wall,` and a plurality of-spaced parallel fingers in 25 u the container` and having lower endsiixed` to said Vvbottom wall; eachf of said' fingers-including a yieldingly retaining articles relative to the conlaitier.

CLIFTON R. BRADLEY.

References Cited n4 the ille of this patent .STATESBA'I'ENTS 

